Buoyant illuminating device



May 18, 1965 M. D. SOBELSON BUOYANT ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I

- INVENTOR. Milron D. Sobelson Gal. 6, W

ATTORNEY May 18, 1965 M. D. SOBELSON BUOYANT ILLUMINATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1963 FIG] United States Patent 3,183,688 BUOYANT ILLUMINATING DEVICE Milton D. Sobelson, 1964 Springfield Ave, Maplewood, NJ. Filed Aug. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 303,857 13 Claims. (CI. 67-51) This invention relates to buoyant illuminating devices, and more particularly concerns devices which float on the surface of a body of combustible oil and include an upstanding wick member.

A number of devices have been suggested which comprise essentially Wick holders of a buoyant nature which may be floated on the surface of a body of combustible oil so that a wick supported on the holder draws oil by capillary action and may be ignited. However, such known devices use cork, pasteboard or the like as buoyant members, which are not only porous, but also are highly absorbent with respect to the oil in which they float. Inevitably, the wick holder becomes saturated with oil and since the absorption is not uniform, the holder tends to tilt while floating and thereby displaces the upstanding wick from the vertical with a resultant undesirable appearance, and ultimately the holder may turn over and sink.

In one known form of the buoyant illuminating device, the wick holder takes the form of a flat ring of cork with a centrally disposed wick support. 1 When the layer of oil within the cork ring is reduced by consumption, the same is replaced by water from the body of water upon which a layer of combustible oil is placed. Thus, the flame may be extinguished for lack of oil, despite the presence of considerable quantities of oil exteriorly of the cork ring, which can not flow to the wick.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved illuminating device of the buoyant type, wherein the wick holder is formed of oil impervious material such as synthetic plastic; has a structure which imparts uniform buoyancy so that the wick holder avoids tilting and the Wick is supported in a true vertical position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described which include-s thin walled portions of a structure which allows for liquid cooling of the same to dissipate heat from the ignited wick.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved illuminating device in molded one piece form, which includes in integral form a well portion having a closed end wick receiving tubulation and a Walled buoyancy imparting portion extending from the well portion to maintain the device at a true horizontal level at all times; the well portion having openings therein for admitting oil therein and passing the same into the wick receiving tubulation.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide an illuminating device of molded plastic material which in- 7 improved illuminating device of the buoyant type, which is in flat compact form to facilitate manufacture, packaging .and storage; and which may also be provided with a normally projecting, removable wick receiving tubulation, to further decrease the bulk of the device with a resultant reductionin packaging bulk.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved device of the character described, which includes a buoyancy imparting portion acting by positive displacement of the liquid upon which the device floats, thereby allowing the device t-o'be formed of thin walled material; the device having a walled structure which makes the same self cooling and thus avoids otherwise 7 3,183,688 Patented May 18, 1965 injurious effects emanating from the open flame of the ignited wick carried thereby.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an illuminating device of the character described and having a central well portion for supporting an ignited wick and a radially projecting buoyancy imparting portion with an annular, hollow rib portion separating the well portion and buoyancy imparting portion; the hollow rib portion being adapted to receive liquid from the body of oil to provide insulating and heat dissipating means to avoid adverse effects on the thin walls forming the device, due to the heat radiated by the ignited wick.

Other objects of this invent-ion will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an illuminating device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2, showing a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing another form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan View similar to that of FIG. 1, showing yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational View thereof with parts in section; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views showing further embodiments of the invention.

Essentially, the device of the instant invention comprises a plastic body having thin Walls formed by molding, stamping, casting or the like, and which includes basically; a cent-rally located wet well portion having a depending, closed end wick receiving tubulation; and an annular buoyancy imparting portion extending radially from the wet well portion.

Thus as shown in FIGS. 1, 2; 10 designates an illuminating device of the buoyant type which may be floated on a layer of combustible vegetable oil 0 poured on a body of water L in a container C, which may be a glass, bowl or the like. The device 10 is formed of plastic such as cellulose acetate, vinyl resin, polypropylene or the like, molded or stamped with a wall thickness of the order of 0.010D.020 and preferably about 0.015".

The device 10 comprises a centrally located wet well portion 11; a buoyancy imparting portion 12 extending radially outward from Well portion 11 and an annular rib portion 13 separating portions 11, 12. The wet well portion 11 comprises a bottom wall 14 of circular outline and of slightly depressed or dished form with a slight taper toward its center as indicated in FIG. 2. Integral with bottom Wall 13 and centrally thereof is a depending tubulation 15 with an inside diameter for carrying a wick W in upstanding relation to the wall 14. Tubulation 15 is closed at its lower end 16 and communicates at its upper open end with the interior of wet well portion 11.

The bottom wall 14 of wet well portion 11 is formed with several openings 17 at equiangular intervals and on a common circumference radially related to 'tubulation 15 for passing oil from layer 0 into'the wet well portion 11.

The buoyancy imparting portion 12 comprises an annular bottom wall 18 which is also slightly depressed or construction which tends to offer resistance to distortion and damage of the walled device, thus assuring level flotation of device 1%.

The annular rib portion 13 is open at its bottom, being of inverted U-shaped section having an outer short wall 19 and an inner long wall 20 connected at their tops by a bight portion 21. The short wall 19 extends at its lower annular edge to the inner periphery of bottom wall 18 of portion 12 while the long wall 20 extends at its lower annular edge to the outer periphery of bottom wall 14 of portion 11, the difference in depth as between Walls 19, 20 disposing the bottom wall 14 of wet well portion 11 at a level lower than that of bottom Wall 18 which floats on the surface of oil body 0, leaving the bottom wall 14 of well 11 immersed in said oil layer 0.

The dished or tapered bottom walls 14, 18 also eliminate the collection or entrapment of air bubbles beneath said walls and insures that device 10 shall float on oil layer in a truly level condition and without tilt.

Oil from layer 0 passes into the wet well portion 11 and thence into tubulation 15 for impregnation of wick W. Despite the heat of the ignited wick W, the extended surface contact of Wall 14 with oil layer 0 provides sufficient cooling means to avoid heat distortion of the thin walled material forming wet well portion 11. Also, the annular ring of oil 22 within the hollow rib portion 13 serves to insulate the portions 11 and 12 from each other and to dissipate heat and thereby eliminate possibility of heat distortion of the thin walled buoyancy im- 7 parting portion 12.

The device 10 is preferably formed of transparent plastic which is not only non-absorptive in respect to the oil 0, but also is substantially invisible when in use and thus eliminates any shadows which might adversely affect the decorative functions of the device. However, such plastic walls may be imprinted or embossed to secure a desired ornamental effect, particularly as the imprinted surface portion may be adapted to reflect the light in a mirrorlike manner. Alternatively, the device may be formed of metal foil of selected gauge or other suitable material, such as glass or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upstanding flange 18A in the buoyant portion 12 of the device, may terminate in a radially extending bumper flange 23 for spacing engagement with the walls of container 'C as the device 10 floats on oil layer 0. Also, the hollow rig 13 may be perforated in bight portion 21 at circumferential intervals as at 24 to ensure complete filling of the well '11 by capillary action which raises the effective liquid level within said well 11.

While device 10 is fairly flat in construction, to facilitate packaging, the normally projecting tubulation 15, integral with well wall 14, may be replaced by a removable tubulation element 15A having a radial flange portion 25 at its upper open end as shown in FIG. 4. The bottom wall 14 of well 11 is formed with a central opening 26 to snugly receive tubulation element 15A, with flange portion 25 thereof seating on the inner surface of wall 14 at opening 26. Thus, the tubulation element 15A may be packaged with device 10 in separated form, to reduce the overall thickness of device and allowing quick mounting of tubulation 15A in place by the user of the device.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the multiwick device 10A is similar to device 10 except that the'well 11A is provided with a plurality of depending wick holding tubulations 15B arranged on a circle with a central opening 17A and a plurality of openings 17B arranged on a circle about central opening 17A, to admit oil 0 to the well 11A and thereby to the tubulations 15B.

Also, the device 1018, as shown in FIG. 7, is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1, 2, except that the wet well por-.

portion 12 are separated 4 tion 12, being force fitted on a projection 32 extending downwardly from tubulation 15.

Disc 30 is formed of a transparent, colorless plastic and hence is invisible when submerged in the liquid. On the upper surface of the disc 30 is imprinted matter of a decorative or informative character. Such imprinted matter is visible through the liquid and the effect thereof is enhanced by the illumination of wick W.

Also, disc 30 is of a diameter somewhat larger than that of portion 12, so that the device may be better spaced in containers of correspondingly larger diameter and increases the spacing between the flame of wick W and the side wall of the container.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminating device of unitary construction comprising in combination a wick and a thin walled body of light transmitting, oil impervious material for floating on the surface of a body of combustible fluid, said thin Walled body comprising a central Well portion and a walled buoyancy imparting portion surrounding said well portion, and wall means separating said buoyancy iniparting portion from said well portion, said well portion comprising a bottom wall, said bottom wall including at least one tubulation depending therefrom and in com munication with said well portion, said tubulation being closed at the lower end thereof with said wick mounted therein in an upstanding position with the upper portion of said wick projecting above the bottom wall of said well portion, the bottom wall of said well portion being formed with at least one opening for admitting fluid from said body of fluid into said well portion for impregnating said mounted wick.

2. An illuminating device as in claim 1 wherein said separating wall means comprises an annular open bottom, hollow rib to receive therein an annular body portion of said fluid for dissipating heat from the wick member in its ignited condition.

3. An illuminating device as in claim 1 wherein said separating wall means comprises an annular rib.

4. An illuminating device of unitary construction com prising a substantially flat thin walled member for floatingon the surface of a body of combustible oil and a wick member, said thin Walled member comprising a centrally located walled well having a depending tubular portion closed at the lower end thereof and communicating at the upper end thereof with theinterior of said well, said tubular portion receiving one end of said wick member to support said wick member in an upright position, said well being formed with at least one opening therein to allow oil from said body of oil to pass into said well and into said tubular portion thereof, and a dished thin walled portion extending radially outward from'the periphery of said well to provide buoyancy means for maintaining said device in floating relation to said body of oil, said well and said last mentioned thin walled portions each including a bottom wall portion, the bottom wall portion of said well being at a level below the bottom wall portion of said thin walled portion. I

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein said Well and said last mentioned thin walled portion are separated by an annular hollow open bottom rib portion.

6. A device as in claim 4 wherein said last mentioned thin walled portion includes a radially extending bumper flange portion at the outer periphery thereofj a 7. A device as in claim 4 wherein the bottom wall of said well is formed with an opening and said tubularportion'comprises a separable element including a radially extending flange portion at the open end thereof whereby said tubular element may be removably assembled with said well with the tubular portion thereof passing through the opening in said well wall and the flange portion of said tubular element being seated on the well wall about the opening therein.

8. An illuminating device as in claim 7 wherein the Wall portions of said Well and buoyant portion each are slightly sloped downwardly radially from its outer periphery to the central portion thereof.

9. An illuminating device of unitary construction for floating on the surface of a body of combustible oil and including a wick, said device comprising a well including a thin bottom wall portion and a dished buoyancy imparting, thin wall portion extending about said well portion for buoyantly supporting said Well on the surface of said body of oil, rib means separating said Well from said buoyancy imparting wall portion, said Well including a wick supporting tabulation depending from the bottom wall portion thereof and closed at the lower end thereof and communicating at the upper end thereof with the interior of said well for mounting said wick therein with the upper portion thereof projecting above the bottom wall of said Well, said bottom wall portion of the well having at least one opening therein for passing oil from said oil body into the interior of said well and said wick holding tubulation.

10. An illuminating device as in claim 9 wherein said well includes a plurality of spaced wick supporting tubulations depending from the bottom wall portion thereof.

11. An illuminating device as in claim 9 and further including a disc disposed below said well and dished portion and mounted on said tubulation, said disc having a diameter greater than the outer diameter of said dished portion.

12. A device as in claim 11 wherein said disc is transparent and carries imprinted matter on a surface thereof visible through said body of oil while said disc is substantially invisible when said device is floating in said body of oil.

13. An illuminating device of unitary construction comprising a thin walled member for floating on a body of combustible oil with a Wick member mounted thereon, said thin walled member comprising a well portion, a buoyancy imparting portion and upstanding Wall means separating said buoyancy imparting portion from said well portion, said well portion having a bottom wall and a tubular portion extending downwardly from said bottom wall, said tubular portion being closed at its lower end and open at the upper end thereof, said tubular portion communicating at its open upper end with the interior of said well portion, whereby the lower end of the wick member is receivable and enclosed in said tubular portion and the upper end of said Wick member extends upwardly above the bottom wall of said well portion, the bottom Wall of said well portion being formed with at least one opening therein for admitting oil from said body of oil into said well portion for impregnating said wick member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,011 1/ 89 Leynen-Hougaerts 675l 405,786 6/89 Ludde 67-5l 2,101,136 12/37 Fraternali 67-51 2,246,346 6/41 Carroll 6751 FOREIGN PATENTS 592,429 2/ 34 Germany.

6,152 1896 Great Britain. 20,517 1904 Great Britain.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ILLUMINATING DEVICE OF UNITARY CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A WICK AND A THIN WALLED BODY OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING, OIL IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL FOR FLOATING ON THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF COMBUSTIBLE FLUID, SAID THIN WALLED BODY COMPRISING A CENTRAL WELL PORTION AND A WALLED BUOYANCY IMPARTING PORTION SURROUNDING SAID WELL PORTION, AND WALL MEANS SEPARATING SAID BUOYANCY IMPARTING PORTION FROM SAID WELL PORTION, SAID WELL PORTION COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL, SAID BOTTOM WALL INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE TUBULATION DEPENDING THEREFROM AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID WELL PORTION, SAID TUBULATION BEING CLOSED AT THE LOWER END THEREOF WITH SAID WICK MOUNTED THEREIN IN AN UPSTANDING POSITION WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID WICK PROJECTING ABOVE THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID WELL PORTION, THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID WELL PORTION BEING FORMED WITH AT LEAST ONE OPENING FOR ADMITTING FLUID FROM SAID BODY OF FLUID INTO SAID WELL PORTION FOR IMPREGNATING SAID MOUNTED WICK. 